Criminal Minds: Evolution season 2: Tentative release date, filming update, and more

Be ready for more BAU action as Criminal Minds: Evolution has been renewed for a second season. The police procedural crime drama is a reboot of the critically acclaimed TV series Criminal Minds, which ran from 2005-2020.

The first five episodes of season one of Criminal Minds: Evolution streamed between November 24, 2022 and December 15, 2022, after which the show went on a break. It returned with its sixth episode on Thursday, January 12, 2023.

On the same day, Paramount+ announced the renewal. On Criminal Minds: Evolution, the network said that the show is one of their top five original series and has driven the original series to have an increase of as much as six times in monthly viewership.

So, it’s not a surprise or shock that it got another season.

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Paramount Streaming executives heap praises on Criminal Minds: Evolution upon renewal

Criminal Minds: Evolution showcases how a group of highly-skilled officers from the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) busting a serial killer network, built during the pandemic.

Fan-favorite actors Joe Mantegna, Paget Brewster, A.J. Cook, Kirsten Vangsness, Aisha Tyler, Adam Rodriguez, and Josh Stewart star on the show.

Since its first episode, Just Getting Started, the show has only grown in strength and popularity. It seems viewers loved the villainy of Zach Gilford’s Elias Voit, the main antagonist and “mysterious perpetrator” of the drama, and how the BAU struggled to hunt him down.

While speaking to TVLine last week, Paramount Streaming’s chief programming officer Tanya Giles said they love the show as it is a franchise that they are all incredibly partial about.

While renewing Criminal Minds: Evolution, Giles expressed her excitement “to bring even more twisted storylines to our loyal fans.” She added that fans quickly embraced the new season with its "more serialized elements."

Much to fans' delight, the series will have several dark twists, and according to Giles, the team is waiting for fans to see what's in store for them.

The statement also said that the team would start filming for season 2 this year itself.

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Production for Criminal Minds: Evolution started mid-2022

Coming from showrunner Erica Messer, Criminal Minds: Evolution was launched in February 2021 with Paramount+ planning a 10-episode first season. In July 2022, the streamer made it official and production commenced.

The synopsis of the show reads:

“The BAU is back! The FBI’s elite team of criminal profilers come up against their greatest threat yet, an UnSub who has used the pandemic to build a network of other serial killers. Now, as the world opens back up, the network goes operational, and our team must hunt them down, one murder at a time.”

Season 1 of the fan-favorite TV series premiered in November last year and after five episodes, the show went on an almost month-long hiatus. Episode 6, titled True Conviction, marked the end of that break.

It was directed by Bethany Rooney on a plot written by Chikodili Agwuna.

In season 2, the original cast members will reportedly return. However, Gilford’s coming back is shrouded in mystery.

The release date for the new season is yet to be announced, but given the trend followed by Criminal Minds so far, we can expect it to drop anywhere between September 2023 and January 2024.

The current season of Criminal Minds: Evolution climaxes on Thursday, February 9, 2023. The 10th and final episode of season one will be written by Christopher Barbour.

Stream all the Evolution episodes released so far on Paramount+.